What to look for when Buying a Minivan
When buying a car there are many things to look out for. Each brand or style of car has their quirks and minivans are no exception. Whether it comes to style, functionality and dependability; you need to know what you're looking for.
Chevrolet, Pontiac and Oldsmobile minivans are probably the most inexpensive vans out there that you can buy. But these minivans, like all, come with their downside. The typical body and frame rot that you see with older minivans, tend to be the downfall of this manufacturer when they designed it. After only a few short years, these vans tend to have a lot of rot in the frame underneath the sliding door. When planning to purchase one of these vehicles, make sure that someone checks this area as it could tend to be a costly repair. Another thing to look out for is the intake manifold on this vehicle. This repair is by no means inexpensive. Have a qualified mechanic inspect this. If you are not careful and this vehicle does have a leak in the intake and you drive it, you might be taking a big chunk out of your pocket. Though this is common with these vehicles, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy one, you just have to make sure that it is maintained properly and this area is not overlooked when bringing it in for service.
Throughout the years Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler have tried to come a long way with the issues that were taking place in these vehicles once they merged with Mercedes-Benz.. Perfection doesn't come easy. Hope fully Mercedes will have an influence on the Chrysler Corporation rather than Dodge having an influence on Mercedes. The most common issues that were taking place were the motor and transmission failing, making it another costly repair Numerous times, many customers would have to bring the vehicle back in after to having the transmission replaced to have it replaced again. A lot of times, once the transmission was fixed, then the motor would have to be replaced. When purchasing one of these vehicles, make sure that there is a warranty included with it that would cover this should it happen. Purchasing an extended warranty would not be a bad idea either, as long as these issues are covered. Style has come a long way with these vehicles as well. There are a lot of extras that you can have included as well, that before were only part of the luxury models.The Ford Windstar, or Freestar as it is now called, is no exception to the Dodge issues. These also for some reason have the same issues. Make sure that your motor and transmission are fully inspected and warranteed when purchasing. The Mercury Villager on the other hand is in fact not a Mercury or a Ford product at all, but a Nissan. Look under the hood when purchasing and you will see that everything under there says Nissan.
Most of your foreign brand minivans will mainly be free of any significant defect. Though much pricier, they offer a better peace of mind. Unlike your domestic cars, foreign companies don't mass produce vehicles. Each one has gone under vigorous testing to make sure that the consumer is not getting something that isn't going to last. When something usually has to be repaired on one of these vehicles it is only a minor procedure and usually associated with regular maintenance.
No car company is without their flaws, making an informed decision about the brand of minivan that you are going to purchase will save you a lot of money and most car dealers will not tell you about the flaws that a vehicle has. Options might be important to you, but anything can always be installed in the vehicle before it leaves the dealer or aftermarket. The most important thing when purchasing any vehicle is the quality and longevity that you are going to get out of it. Just keep in mind what you are willing to deal with when purchasing and make your decision based on that. Sometimes peace of mind is better than having the coolest looking minivan in the neighborhood.
